‘Accidental Racist’ lights up Twitter

FORTUNE — Country singer Brad Paisley set Twitter ablaze Monday with the release of “Accidental Racist,” a tune that starts with a vignette about wearing a confederate flag t-shirt in a Starbucks (“When I put on that t-shirt, the only thing I meant to say is I’m a Skynyrd fan”) and ends with LL Cool J awkwardly rapping about the Civil War and slavery (“RIP Robert E. Lee, but I’ve gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean.”) It is earnest, ham-fisted, and ripe for social media parody.

The mockery and controversy, however, may end up causing “Accidental Racist” to be more than just a jaw-dropping, “Did-I-actually-hear-this-correctly?” oddity. With Billboard now factoring in YouTube to its Hot 100 chart, the views of official and user-generated videos using authorized audio could make this song a hit along the lines of the viral video “Harlem Shake.”

“Accidental Racist” could become an intentional hit, but at what cost to Paisley’s brand? He’s generally seen as middle-of-the-road — he performed at one of the inaugural balls for President Obama in January — in comparison to more right-wing country artists. This misstep could cost him a fanbase, or gain him a new one.

Only time will tell, but for now, Brad Paisley is going to have to settle for being a trending topic.